All Time Lows
by Kaze no Tsurugi
Summary: It's only a matter of time before they realize the inevitable. Kiyoshi/Hotaru
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I don't own any Sailor Moon characters, but I (and Vanessa Riverton) own Kiyoshi. - FACT! This fic is also inspired by the song "All Time Lows" by Hellogoodbye._

_A/N: This is dedicated to someone I care about... a lot._

**Chapter 1: The Forecast Aint As Bad As It Seems**

"_Our long streak of sunny days is about to end! We've got a cold front coming up, which means plenty of showers and thunderstorms in store for those of us in the Azabu Juban area. We could use some cool weather though, get a break from all this summer heat, which will continue tonight with warm temperatures and clear skies to end July…"_

Kiyoshi tapped the power switch, turning the radio off, leaving only the trickling of the water from the faucet as the only sound in the dark room. Next to the faucet was a counter with several photographs suspended above from a wire. The green-haired tomboy carefully unclipped the prints that had been hung to dry and turned the faucet off. Stepping through black revolving doors, she emerged into one of several studios in the house. The drastic change in lighting caused her gray eyes to squint against the sun coming through the large windows. Her studio faced west, and the sun was beginning its descent towards the horizon, casting an orange hue over the room where Kiyoshi spent most of her time with her photography.

_The days are starting to get short again. Soon it'll be fall,_ Kiyoshi thought to herself. She looked down at the stack of prints she held in her hands and sighed. The first photograph showed a young girl – no, a young lady, smiling pleasantly back at her. With hair as dark as the midnight sky and deep amethyst eyes that shone bright enough to make diamonds look like mere glitter on a child's paper craft, the young lady in the portrait was all Kiyoshi could think about as of late.

* * *

"_I'll race you to the water, Kiyo!"_

_Kiyoshi stared at the blonde in disbelief. "What kind of challenge is that, Haruka?"_

"_You play soccer, you run just as fast, now let's go!" the blonde declared and was about to take off when a soft voice called out, stopping her in her tracks._

"_Not so fast, Ruka. You can't just speed off without a proper start," Michiru reprimanded her._

"_Fine," Haruka sighed. "Hime-chan, you mind doing the honours?"_

_Hotaru turned to look at her adoptive father, but not after stealing a glance at the other tomboy in the family. "Um, I'm helping Setsuna-mama and Michiru-mama."_

"_It won't take long, hime. Just do a quick 'ready, set, go'!" said Haruka._

_Kiyoshi joined the blonde where she stood and assumed the starting position for a run. She spared a smile at Hotaru and said, "Whenever you're ready, Hota."_

_Hotaru returned the grin and ran up a few paces in front of the tomboys. Once she asserted their undivided attention, she shouted, "Ready… Set… GO!"_

_The tomboys took off, racing down the beach towards the water, their feet sprinting as fast as they could and kicking up sand in their wake. Kiyoshi could see she and Haruka were neck to neck out of the corner of her eye and up ahead she saw the waterline quickly approaching. As soon as her feet touched damp sand she leaped forward into the water. Naturally, there was the sound of a splash only a second before her as Haruka victoriously landed in the water first, but Kiyoshi's attention was no longer on the race. Her eyes bulged as they zoned in on the white blob floating precariously beside her. It was too late though, and within seconds she felt the sting riding through her nerves._

"_OH SHIT!" Kiyoshi cried out and thrashed about in the water. "FUCK! JELLYFISH! GET IT OFF ME!"_

_In her frenzy, Kiyoshi didn't notice Haruka had already gotten a hold of her and dragged her out of the water and onto the sand. Hotaru rushed to Kiyoshi's side with the vinegar they had brought for such emergencies._

"_FUCKIN' A, WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME?" Kiyoshi released a stream of curses and threw a handful of sand in the direction of the jellyfish, which only mocked Kiyoshi's pain by steadily floating on the water's surface._

"_Kiyo, hold still!" Hotaru scolded and began spraying the enraged tomboy's arm._

"_MOTHER FUCKER!"_

"_KIYOSHI!" Hotaru took Kiyoshi's face in her hands and looked at her square in the eye._

* * *

_I could've kissed her right there,_ Kiyoshi thought, still staring at the photograph of Hotaru. _It's not the only time I've wanted to kiss her._

"Hey Kiyo! Are those the vacation pictures?"

Kiyoshi snapped back to reality and faced the green-haired woman standing in the doorway.

"Yeah, I just finished them. Here, Sets, you can look," Kiyoshi said, handing the photos to her friend and then walking back towards the dark room.

"Wait, where are you going? You're not going to look at them with me?" Setsuna asked.

"I've seen them."

"Oh, come on, relive the good times with me! I know you have shots of me completely wasted somewhere in here," Setsuna said with an evil eye.

Kiyoshi scoffed. "When are you not wasted, Sets?"

"Hey!" Setsuna feigned offense then laughed. "Okay, so maybe I was on my way to the bar when I saw you standing there staring at the pictures. Care to join me?"

Kiyoshi gave Setsuna a tentative look, then said, "Fine."

Kiyoshi followed Setsuna out of her studio and down the stairs to where a mini-bar was set up in the corner of the basement. Four stools surrounded it and there were two gold plated metal bars running along the bar to provide support for a person when drunk or to maneuver the easily movable mini-bar.

The actual bar was made of a fine dark wood. As far as Kiyo knew it was mahogany but it could have been a light wood that Setsuna poured half a bottle of Campari over for all anyone else knew.

The tomboy took a seat on the barstool while her long-haired counterpart took her place behind the bar.

"So what can I get you, Kiyo?"

"The usual."

Setsuna brought out a highball glass and took some ice out. She ducked down under the counter and came back up with a two liter bottle of Coke and a bottle of Bacardi rum. As she fixed up the drink for Kiyoshi, she noticed Kiyoshi's dreary disposition, but decided to remain silent.

"Here you go, Kiyo. Coke and rum for you, and I'm going to have a mojito."

After filling another highball glass with the proper ingredients and mixing it together, Setsuna topped her cocktail drink with a lime wedge and mint leaves. She held her finished product up towards Kiyoshi.

"Kenpai!" Kiyoshi said and brought her glass up to meet Setsuna's. Their glasses clinked and they each took a drink. Kiyoshi placed her glass back on the bar and shook her head while Setsuna took a little longer to remove the glass from her lips.

"Hey Sets, remember that time we got so wasted and we made that video and – "

"Kiyo, don't! You said we'd never mention that after…"

The two green-haired women stared at each other in ominous silence, then Kiyoshi decided to take another sip from her glass. Setsuna did the same.

"So, Sets, how about those photos?"

"Oh yeah! Right," Setsuna quickly perked up. She set her drink aside and took the photos into her hand. "Aw, that's a really nice shot of Hotaru."

A sideways grin escaped Kiyoshi's face before she could cover it up. Setsuna made a note of it and casually placed the photo down on the bar in front of Kiyoshi while she flipped through the rest of the pile. Just as Setsuna expected, Kiyoshi's eyes lingered longingly on the photo of Hotaru.

"Hota starts school soon, doesn't she?" Kiyoshi asked.

Setsuna only nodded.

"And then I won't see her again till December," the tomboy said with a tone of sadness.

The other woman looked up from the photos and said, "That's right, _we_ won't see her again till December."

Kiyoshi ignored Setsuna's alteration to her statement and continued staring at Hotaru's photo.

Setsuna put the photos down and cleared her throat. "Is there something you want to tell me, Kiyo? This has to be a new record for all time lows for you. Ever since we got back from vacation you've been acting really cold. You're even making me feel depressed."

Kiyoshi looked into her glass for a moment, mulling over whether she should tell Setsuna or not. Her thoughts always turned into discord when she tried to think about it too much. And then there was that dream she had the other night. Nothing seemed clear to her anymore.

"It's nothing. Besides, I don't even know where to begin," Kiyoshi said finally and stared at the ice swirling around in the caramel brown liquid concoction.

"Come on, Kiyo. It's better for you to talk it out. Just say whatever comes to your mind."

Kiyoshi tipped her glass back and finished the last of her drink. "Alright, I'll tell you. I'm going to need another one first. And more rum this time."

Setsuna complied and poured another round for her companion. She handed the glass back to Kiyoshi and waited patiently while the tomboy downed the whole thing in a few gulps.

"Ah, alright, story time," Kiyoshi said. She proceeded to start by telling Setsuna about the dream she had.

* * *

_Kiyoshi stepped out of the taxi and walked through the sliding doors into the airport, where she was greeted by Japan Airlines workers who were helping travelers check their baggage in. She tugged on her messenger bag, making sure it was hung securely from her shoulder and looked around till she spotted an empty kiosk so she could check her baggage automatically. With boarding pass and passport in hand, Kiyoshi walked up to the machine when she realized she felt odd. Her hand reached to her side and grabbed nothing but air. In horror, she spun around and saw the taxi she had just left driving away – with her suitcase._

"_Ah, fuck," Kiyoshi cursed and was about to try and run after it, but knew it was no use. _Whatever, I'm still going.

_She fell in line to go through the security checkpoint when she felt something was off again. The weight on her shoulder was missing. Frantic, Kiyoshi searched around her, but her messenger bag was gone._

What the hell? Dammit, why is this happening?

_She began to panic. Over the PA system, flight number 11 was announced to depart soon and that passengers should proceed quickly to the terminal to board._

Shit, I can't miss my flight! She's waiting for me!

* * *

"And that's when I woke up." Kiyoshi held her empty glass out to Setsuna. "Hit me."

Setsuna gave Kiyoshi more Coke and rum and fixed herself up another mojito as well. They drank together and Kiyoshi let out a belch, earning her a shot of disdain from her confidant.

"I give that a seven. You've done better."

"Thanks, Sets. I'll work on it."

"I was being sarcastic. Anyway," she tapped her chin in deliberation, "your dream speaks volumes, especially with the fact that it took place at an airport alone."

"How so?" Kiyoshi asked in puzzlement.

"Airports are where journeys begin! They can take you anywhere you want! They're the connections to everyone in our lives! We visit friends, family… lovers…" Setsuna took a slow sip from her mojito and raised one eyebrow suggestively to Kiyoshi, who placed her drink on the mini-bar and frowned before holding up two hands and gesturing for the senshi of time to stop talking for a moment.

A blank stare remained plastered on Kiyoshi's face. "Sets, you know I'm slow and easily confused. Don't be all metaphoric on me, especially when you let the mojito do the talking."

Setsuna exhaled in exasperation. "Let's start with the obvious." She leaned over the counter to get in closer range with Kiyoshi. "You've been awakened as Sailor Eris. That's changed your life's direction pretty dramatically, don't you think?"

Kiyoshi nodded slowly.

"Okay, now you losing your bags and stuff, that's you leaving behind baggage that you won't need on your new journey. You've been hulling around a lot of things from your past and it's time to let them go, Kiyo. Don't let something from your past always be lugged around with you, especially when that section of your life is over. With a new journey, you shouldn't take old luggage along with you. Something better, or should I say _someone_ is waiting for you, jus like you said in your dream."

The slanted smile tugged at the corner of Kiyoshi's mouth again.

"So, who is it?"

"Huh?" Kiyoshi shook herself out of her moment of reverie.

"Who is 'she' that awaits you?" Setsuna clarified, giving Kiyoshi a curious look.

"I don't know. I mean, I have an idea, but it's just a thought."

"Kiyoshi, dear," Setsuna pried sweetly, "you can tell me. I won't tell anyone, I promise. Now who is it?"

Despite Kiyoshi's tanned skin, her cheeks suddenly flushed a rosy red. "Oh come on, like it isn't obvious! Don't make me say it." Her eyes settled upon the flat rectangular object that lay between her and Setsuna.

"Admitting it is your first step to stop being in denial."

Kiyoshi let Setsuna's words sink in. Was she in denial? More importantly, what exactly had she been trying to deny this whole time?

"It's just been a while since I felt like this. I want to make sure," she paused and thought over her words, "I'm not rushing things. I don't want it to happen again, especially not with her. She's a really good friend, and I care a lot about her."

Kiyoshi lifted her glass to her lips and was disappointed to find she had already drunk the last drop. Sighing, she continued, "I doubt she sees me as anything more than a friend anyway. I don't know. I try not to think about it so much."

Setsuna took the initiative to pour more into Kiyoshi's glass, which the tomboy drank immediately.

"Ah, but you know, lately, I can't help thinking about it now," Kiyoshi stopped to say. "And I may as well Polaroid her with the way I stare." She tipped the rest of the contents in her glass into her mouth. "Wait, I do! I'm a freakin' photographer! It's what I do!"

Kiyoshi laughed at her own rambling while Setsuna discreetly took away Kiyoshi's glass, having decided that Kiyoshi didn't need any more alcohol lest her speech starts becoming incoherent. She had achieved her goal of getting Kiyoshi to loosen up.

Once Kiyoshi settled back down, Setsuna spoke, "Kiyo, your dream is like a wake up call. Stop resisting! It's pretty clear what journey your life's about to take. Trust me, it's only a matter of time, and you know I know all about time. And if it's who I think it is, I see only good things. That's my forecast."

Kiyoshi shook her head and said, "No, I'm afraid I'm only setting myself up for disaster again. I'm the senshi of strife, remember?"

"And I'm running out of patience with you. Have you ever thought of just trying to talk to this mystery girl of yours?"

"Sets," Kiyoshi said and furrowed her eyebrows. "Where's my drink?"

Setsuna smacked Kiyoshi upside her head. "Don't try to change the subject! And you don't need any more alcohol. Last time you were stumbling all over the place and you damn near busted your head!"

"Dammit, Setsuna, you didn't have to hit me so hard!" Kiyoshi scowled and rubbed the spot that had been assaulted.

"Yes I did! You need some sense knocked into you. For someone who can capture more than what meets the eye, you're so blind when it comes to the obvious."

"What?" The confused expression contorting Kiyoshi's face was undeniably pathetic, but genuine in every sense. "Setsuna, please, I'm begging you, simple terms! Don't be –"

Kiyoshi's eyes suddenly turned bright, despite their natural cloudy appearance.

"Wait, what?" The troubled tomboy stood up from the barstool. "You don't mean…"

Setsuna merely smiled and turned her attention back to her mojito.

From above, the door to the basement opened and soft footsteps treaded down the stairs.

"Setsa-mama, have you seen Kiyoshi?" a voice called and stopped once her violet eyes beheld gray ones. "Oh, hi Kiyo, I was just looking for you."

"What's up, Hota?" Kiyoshi asked with the trademark grin reappearing without any resistance.

"I was wondering if you could take me night shooting, you know, while the weather is still nice." Hotaru looked down at the camera she held in her hands. "And, you know, since you're really good at photography, I was hoping you could help me improve on my techniques."

Kiyoshi turned to Setsuna. "Are you going to be okay here by yourself, Sets?"

"Oh yeah, sure, don't worry about me. I have my mojito to keep me company since everyone's always leaving me," Setsuna replied.

Hotaru and Kiyoshi gave Setsuna a questioning look.

"Nevermind, go have fun you two," she said and shooed them away with the flick of her hand. "Oh and Hota-chan, you might want to go ahead and give Kiyoshi a kiss."

"WHAT?" Kiyoshi and Hotaru exclaimed together.

"On her head! If you would only let me finish. Kami-sama, what were you two thinking? I gave her a good rapping on her head, so she may need someone to make her boo-boo go away," Setsuna explained.

An awkward silence passed between Kiyoshi and Hotaru as they looked at each other with uncertainty. Setsuna made herself yet another mojito and began humming contently.

"Let me just go get my equipment, Hota, then we'll be on our way," Kiyoshi said to break the uneasiness. "I know the perfect spot. And there's just enough sunlight to do some pretty cool tricks before it gets dark."

"Okay, Kiyo," Hotaru responded with a brilliant smile. "I'll wait for you."


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I don't own any Sailor Moon characters, but I (and Vanessa Riverton) own Kiyoshi. - FACT! This fic is also inspired by the song "All Time Lows" by Hellogoodbye._

**Chapter 2: Tonight the Stars Are Oh So Bright**

Inside her studio, Kiyoshi quickly gathered her equipment. She plucked the memory card from her laptop and inserted it into her digital SLR camera, then checked to make sure she had her wide angle lens attached.

_Now where the hell is my tripod?_

Kiyoshi spotted the accessory jutting out from underneath a black hoodie that had been placed on top of it. Folded.

_Hm? I never fold my hoodies. Maybe it was Michiru._

As she lifted her black hoodie to take up her tripod, a familiar fragrance filled the air around her.

_Rain…_

* * *

_In the kitchen, Kiyoshi was sitting by herself at the breakfast nook, waiting for her cup noodles to cook, when a loud thud shook the light fixture hanging from the ceiling. She glanced at the clock._

Hm, they're starting early tonight, _she mused to herself._

_The bumps in the night no longer fazed her like they did when she first moved in with the outers, but that didn't mean she enjoyed having her dinner underneath the action going on upstairs, especially after a long day at work. Poor Setsuna was still at the office dealing with material vendors who screwed up the order._

_Kiyoshi took her cup noodles into the family room and was pleased to find Hotaru inside watching TV._

"_Hey Hota, you're still here? I thought you were going out with Chibiusa tonight?"_

"_Hm?" Hotaru looked at Kiyoshi then turned back to the TV. "I am. I'm just waiting for her to come pick me up."_

"_Oh, I see. Mind if I join you while you wait then?"_

_Hotaru shook her head. "Not at all." She smiled warmly at Kiyoshi, then frowned when she noticed the cup noodles in her hand. "Tom yum cup noodles again? You know, too much wax is bad for the stomach."_

"_I know," Kiyoshi pouted, "but it's my favorite."_

_She settled beside Hotaru on the couch and sat back, slurping up her noodles. Although the soup itself was no longer scaldingly hot, it was the tom yum flavor that began heating up Kiyoshi's mouth and soon beads of sweat began forming on Kiyoshi's brow. She took a moment to loosen her tie and unbutton her collar, then continued her meal, or at least what she considered was a meal. The noise continued upstairs and Hotaru took the liberty of turning the TV volume up. She, too, no longer found the noises unsettling._

_By the time Kiyoshi drank the last of the soup, she had completely unbuttoned her shirt, revealing the black tank shirt she wore inside, and was using her sleeve to wipe the perspiration from her face._

_Kiyoshi let out a content sigh and said "Gochisosama deshita!"_

_Hotaru shook her head and giggled at Kiyoshi in her peculiar state. "You need to eat healthier food, Kiyo," she chided._

"_Yes, but until I can cook something without starting a fire, this will do," Kiyoshi reasoned. She looked down and examined the sweat she wiped from behind her neck. "I think I'm going to need a shower too before I go to bed."_

_The dark-haired girl suddenly coughed and said, "Chibiusa's late."_

"_Maybe you should call her," the tomboy suggested while she wiped her hands on her pants, not noticing the abrupt change in topic._

_Hotaru nodded in agreement and reached into her pocket for her mobile, but came back out empty-handed. She checked her other pocket, but got the same result._

"_Hm, where'd I put my mobile?" she said and began searching the area around her._

_Kiyoshi pulled out her own mobile and scrolled down till she found Hotaru's number. She pushed the call button and said, "Here, I'm calling you right now so you can find it quicker."_

"_No, Kiyo! You don't have to—"_

"And oh, I'm into you and, girl, no one else will do…"

_The ringtone began playing within close vicinity of both young women and they looked at each other._

"_That's a nice ringtone," Kiyoshi commented casually._

_Hotaru immediately jumped off the couch and dug inside the crevices between the cushions. Kiyoshi joined her in her search._

"… You make me fall in love. And now I know I can't be the only one, I bet there's hearts all over the world tonight with the love of their life who feel what I feel when I'm with you, with you, with you, with you, with you…"

"_Got it!" Hotaru said, withdrawing her mobile from the depths of the couch, and immediately ended the call. She exhaled slowly and laughed nervously. "Thanks for helping me find my mobile, Kiyo."_

"_No problem," Kiyoshi replied._

_Suddenly Hotaru's mobile started sounding again, but it was a different ringtone. She took a quick glance at Kiyoshi and answered, cutting the ringtone off._

"_Moshimoshi? Chibiusa, what's up?"_

_Kiyoshi decided to take this time to go into the kitchen and dispose her trash. She could hear Hotaru's voice murmuring from the other room, as well as muted moans coming from above. She raised her eyes and started to wonder how long it would be before the light fixture would lose its hold on the ceiling._

"_Um, Kiyo, can I ask you a favor?"_

_Kiyoshi turned to Hotaru. "Sure, anything for you, Hota," she said. _And I mean anything.

"_Do you think you could drive me over to the beach party?" she asked humbly. "Chibiusa is stuck in traffic and I figured I'd just meet her there so she doesn't have to waste time going out of her way anymore."_

"_Yeah, not a problem!"_

_The light flickered in the kitchen as a voice cried softly._

_Kiyoshi raised an eyebrow and Hotaru rolled her eyes. That was the signal for Kiyoshi to grab her keys and her black hoodie from where she had hung it on the chair._

"_We should probably go now, before this light falls on either of us."_

_The drive to the beach was fairly quiet, save for the radio. They managed to avoid any traffic and when they arrived, the beach was swarming with youth._

"_Kiyo, can I ask for one more favor?" Hotaru asked._

"_Yeah, what's up?"_

"_Would you mind staying with me until Chibiusa shows up?"_

I'd love to, but… _"You sure I won't embarrass you, me being older and all?" Kiyoshi said._

_Hotaru's laughter was music to Kiyoshi's ears. "Come on, Kiyo."_

_She got out of the car and walked with Hotaru towards the bonfire. Almost instantly Kiyoshi spotted five heads turn to look at Hotaru – and they were all boys. The feelings she felt inside reminded her that her hair wasn't the only thing green. But why was she feeling jealous? She was old enough to be Hotaru's older sister._

"_Hey Hotaru-chan! Is this your brother?"_

Or brother, _Kiyoshi thought with contempt as two boys approached them. The one who asked the question had a friendly look on his face while the second boy looked over Kiyoshi with scrutinizing brown eyes. Kiyoshi decided she didn't like the second one, especially when he stared at Hotaru with a cocky smirk on his face._

"_Ando-kun! No, _she's_ not my brother, but she lives with me," Hotaru informed him._

"_She? Lives with you?" the second boy reiterated slowly, his accent clearly indicating he was a foreigner._

"_By the way, this is Kris. He's from Sweden," said Ando._

_Kris reached out and placed a light kiss on Hotaru's hand._

_The scene unfolded before Kiyoshi's eyes in slow motion and she forced herself to look away. She tried to distract herself by looking for Chibiusa, but the jealousy was eating her alive and there was nothing she could do about it. She was very tempted to summon her Static Blades and cut the boy's lips off, but she knew better than to abuse her Eris powers._

"_Relax, Kiyo, don't be so uptight. This is the first time I've met him," Hotaru's gentle voice broke her thoughts. "A little possessive?"_

"_Huh? No, I'm not." Kiyoshi looked around and saw the boys had gone. She was left standing alone with Hotaru again._

"_You were mumbling something about cutting. I think you scared them off." Hotaru playfully nudged Kiyoshi in her side. "Stop being violent, you."_

"_I'm… sorry," was all Kiyoshi could utter in her guilt._

_She stared down at her feet, then her eyes snapped back up to Hotaru, who was leaning closer against her. The tomboy could smell her perfume – it was like a fresh rainshower – and she had the urge to put her arm around the girl. But she didn't. Surely that's not why Hotaru was so intimately close. She noticed, however, that Hotaru had neglected to bring a jacket, or something, to keep her warm from the night's cool breeze._

"_Here, Hota." Kiyoshi took off her hoodie and wrapped it around Hotaru. "So you're not cold."_

_Hotaru slipped her arms through the sleeves and giggled at the loose fit it had on her. "Thank you, Kiyo."_

* * *

"_For someone who can capture more than what meets the eye, you're so blind when it comes to the obvious."_

The words resonated in Kiyoshi's mind as she held her hoodie up to her face and breathed in deeply.

_Hotaru, _she thought briefly. _Is Setsuna serious?_

Kiyoshi took her hoodie and swiftly strode through the house back to the basement where Hotaru was waiting. When she opened the basement door, she heard Hotaru talking with Setsuna, but it wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear.

"…And then I felt his lips touch mine and I thought I would die. I couldn't have wished for anything else at that moment…" Hotaru's voice spoke softly.

Kiyoshi smacked herself in the head. _I should've known. Hotaru feeling the same way about me? Not possible, obviously,_ she thought bitterly.

She took a deep breath and made her footsteps sound clear in order to make her presence apparent. Halfway down the stairs she stopped and called out, "Ready, Hotaru?"

"Just one second!" Hotaru's voice responded.

Meanwhile Hotaru was waiting patiently for Setsuna's critique on the summer assignment she had to write for her English class. "So what do you think? I've never experienced a first kiss, so I'm not sure if I wrote about it well."

"Don't worry, your writing is always well done. And you may find out sooner than you think how accurate you are," the older woman replied and gave Hotaru a discreet wink.

Hotaru only stared at Setsuna with a blush quickly arising.

"Silence? So you're not trying to deny it."

"Stop it, Sets!"

Setsuna laughed lightly. "Go on then, she's waiting for you."

* * *

"Oh, so you use the timer. I always wondered why my shots still came out a little shaky even though I used the tripod."

Kiyoshi nodded. "Yeah, it's just a little shake to some degree, but it definitely shows. So the timer eliminates that if you don't want that shaky look."

Hotaru looked through her viewfinder to compose her shot and then stepped back. Seconds later the shutter snapped. She reviewed her shot on the LCD screen of her camera and a wide grin spread across her face.

"It worked, Kiyo!"

Kiyoshi returned the smile. "Of course it did. Now just experiment with different exposure times. And make sure you're offsetting from the center. Rule of thirds, remember?"

Hotaru continued taking shots of the Tokyo city skyline as Kiyoshi looked on from where she was leaning against her car. She had taken Hotaru to the outskirts of the city where they now beheld the seemingly endless spectacle of lights across Tokyo Bay. It was the lights reflecting on the water – especially the ones coming from Rainbow Bridge – that made this view one of Kiyoshi's favorite spots for night photography. The lights transformed the dark moving mass into a dynamic illuminated canvas of colors that offset the stagnant jewels of the night.

Kiyoshi sighed quietly and glanced up at the sky. Her eyebrows rose in a pleasant surprise at the sight that looked down upon her. _The stars look really bright tonight._

"Kiyo."

The tomboy turned towards Hotaru's voice and heard a click that was preceded by a flash of light.

"What are you taking pictures of me for?" Kiyoshi asked dubiously, blinking her eyes till they adjusted to the darkness again.

"To take with me to school since I won't see you again till December," Hotaru answered.

"Oh, I see. Then if anyone tries to mess with you, you can show them my picture and tell them you have a 'brother' who will cut them with blades that I can make appear out of thin air," Kiyoshi joked.

Hotaru sighed.

"I know, I know, stop being violent. I was just kidding."

Hotaru stepped closer to Kiyoshi and stood in front of her. "You don't have to be so protective of me."

Kiyoshi's shoulders slouched. "I just… don't want to see you get hurt. That's all," she argued as casually as she could.

"That's it?" Hotaru asked with an expectant look on her face.

"W-well, um, I mean, I… I…" The words suddenly became lost to Kiyoshi and she began stuttering. The temperature seemed to rise around her and she took a deep breath and swallowed hard before attempting to continue. "I, um… like… care… a lot… about you," she managed to say slowly. "Why, is there something else I'm forgetting?" Kiyoshi added once she found her composure.

Hotaru laughed. "No, nothing else. But I think I've done enough shooting for tonight."

"Okay then, let's go home."

* * *

Back at the house, Setsuna was in her bedroom trying to sober up from all the mojito she drank. She brought a sandwich up to her mouth, then burst out laughing as it reminded her of the time she and Kiyoshi got wasted one night. She took a big bite then felt her throat dry a little, coughed, and then realized that wouldn't do. She needed the ultimate thirst quencher.

"Where the hell is my big one?" Setsuna began rummaging through the mini-fridge beside her bed before she pulled out a large orange bottle with Lucozade written down the side and "BIG ONE" written in black letters on the side.

"A-ha! Victory!" Without another word Setsuna drank half the bottle's contents before giggling madly, then stopping in her tracks, groaning and grabbing her head and mumbling to herself.

"Oooh sugar rush. Then the crash." She shrugged and took another large gulp before lying on her bed and laughing maniacally once more.

Her laughter ceased when she saw the headlights pulling up in the driveway. She rushed to her window and peeked through the curtains. Outside Kiyoshi stepped out of the car, then Hotaru, then they both walked together towards the house. Setsuna paid close attention to their hands, but was disappointed to see them apart. They disappeared out of her view and Setsuna heard the front door open. They were quiet. A little too quiet. The drunk woman went to her bedroom door and peered out into the hall, straining her ears to catch the slightest whisper.

"I had fun with you, Kiyo. I just wish we had more time."

"Yeah, me too. Maybe I can visit you while you're at school."

"That'd be nice."

"Yeah." A long pause. "Well, I'll see you in the morning, Hota. Oyasumi."

Another long pause.

"Oyasumi, Kiyo," Hotaru's voice ended the conversation, but Setsuna thought it sounded a little unsteady.

The stairs groaned as someone walked up. Setsuna quickly jumped onto her bed, grabbing her sandwich, and pretended to be browsing on the internet. The footsteps stopped at her door and she looked up.

"Oh hey, Hime-chan. Did you have fun?" the woman asked while taking a bite of her sandwich, but stopped midway when she noticed the shocked expression on Hotaru's face. "Hime-chan, you okay?"

"She… hugged me."

Setsuna tried her best to contain her herself. "And…?"

Hotaru sighed bittersweetly. "Nah, Kiyo doesn't feel that way about me." Setsuna could see the same glint of hope and desire that she saw in Kiyoshi's eyes earlier. "Anyway, oyasumi nasai Setsa-mama," she said and left the room.

Setsuna's jaw dropped before she sighed and walked through the house towards the mini-bar, all the while grumbling. "Oblivious fools. I need more mojito."


End file.
